Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-10-14
An AppALLIG2 DISASTER
On a Railroad in the West.
FAST TRAIN TELESCOPED AND
BURNED.

THIRTY PERSONS CIR U SHED OR
BURNED TO DEATH MANY 9TH.
Frs INJURED-THE DE ABLY
STOVE BEGINS IT'S WINTER WORK
KOUTs, INDIANA, October H.
The worst horrors Of the railroad
disaster NJ ChatSwOrth were dupli-
Gated here today. A dozen blood
stained, smoke begrimed injured
victims Of railroad carelessness or
laundering were brought into the
little statlOn.hOuse OF the village
early this morning, and this alter
noon charred corpses, victims OF
the same laundering or careless
ness, were laid upon the station
platform, while three miles west,
down the track of the Chicago and
Atlantic Railway, near a lonely old
water tank, piles of debris mark the
spot where a collision, seldom equal
ed for terrible results, had occurred.
According to the best estimate OBJ.
tainable-fOr only an estimate was
pOssible-iully thirty human lives
had been sacrificed outright, and
half that number Of persons had
suffered injuries moro or less seri-
Gus. The east.bonnd express that
left Chicago last night with a great
load of passengers had, without a
moments warning, during q temp
orary wait, been run into from be.
hind by loaded fast freight, plung.
ing madly forward in the dark in
hurrying dressed meat to the mar
kets of the seabOard. Some part
Of the machinery Of the passenger
engine had been thrown ont OF or.
der during therun from Chicago
A trifling stop at the water-tank
would make it all right, it was
thought, and so the stop was ac-
cOrdingIy made. Suddenly out Of
the darkness behind came the flash
of a headlight. the rush and rattle
Of many wheels, and then a mighty
crash. The massive framework of
the sleeper was transformed into a
huge catapult. Pushed merciless-
ly forward by the freight it crushed
into the cars forward, smashing
their comparatively light timbers
and making the work of destruction
complete. The wreck quickly took
fire, and the sight of the Shrieking
victims and dancing flames was one
never to be forgotten.
THE ENGINEERS ACCOUNT.
This morning surrounded by an
eager group of questioners at the
hotel in Kouts, the engineer of the
assenger train told the following
story of the terrible disaster: eve
passed No. 40 az Boone Grove on
time and star led towards Kouts.-
No. 40 pulled ont of the station in
less than two minutes behind us,
when they should have waited much
longer. When we were well away
from the town we could see her
lights but n little way behind. We
were not ri inning very fast because
the engine was 'On one side'-we
had broken an eccentric strap AMI
were running bnt one pair OF wheels,
which were running loose. OfcOurse
the accide nj held our speed down
little, but we had no idea that the
engineer OF No. 10 would have any
in keeping off from our
heels. The last time | looked be-
hind there was ample room between
rs. We stopped at the Boone
Grove wate'r.tank, and were there
almost a minute before they struck
u.s.
THE STOVE GETS IN IT'S WORK.
Joe McCoOl, a bartender, of Bos.
-on, who was injured IN the disas- |
.er, gave the following account Of !
he accident: II was in the pas
,enger coach which was next to |
he last car in the train. Just be- |
ore midnight went into the
smoker, which was just ahead of
,ur car, and chatted for an hour,
md came back to the coach with a
'Oung man who sat down near me.
That is the last Eve seen or expect
o see of the poor fellow. Just as
myself ont to 90 to
leep. ard almost before ] closed
ny eyes. there was an awful crash,
which, God help me, | never want
o hear again. ] could feel myself
brown violently toward the top of
he car. and then | became insensi-
lie. On the way up | realized that
Ii was confusion in the car; that
anes. valises, rods Of iron and
amps were in the air about me. |
lust have regained my conscious
ess IN a very short time, for when
awOke all was darkness IN the (
ar, and horrible shrieks and pierre
lg walls Of agony almost deafened ,
~ ears. In the end Of the car
lrtherest from me the stove was ,
verturned and the flames were !
lst starting to spread with great ,
lpidIty. There was some sort of !
new gas lamp in the car, with I
eservoirs reaching from one to the {
Their. The flames leaped up the
des, and in less time than | can
I'll it, the gas was burning the I
hole length Of the coach over our y
eadS. | was wedged in between f
70 seats where | cOuld't move O
NIB of my body, and there watch. a
| the fire slowly creep upon me. n
was a terrible sight. In the end b
the coach near the fire | could n
&C a lady caught between the
ats as was; she was soon en-
eIoped in flames, and then, in
sOnl, she burned before my eyes.
list across from my seat | noticed I"
non before the accident a father, '
S wife and daughter. | saw them, "
so, crushed together aud burned. !"
list as the flames were blazing a y
OF or two away from me man .
llled me into the aisle. and said. "
ome to the window He must %
I'VE mistaken me for some one =, ~
Sc, for the moment he had looked +
Osely at my face he dropped me, VI
I'd hurried through the window u
It'll an exclamation of evident y
appointment. then painfully y, :,
awled after him 10 safety" az
1t now seems impossible to hold